Old-Fashioned Potato Salad | Recipe

My grandmother used to whip up a potato salad the whole family adored. She brought one big bowl to almost every family barbecue or potluck gathering. And now, anytime the weather warms up and barbecue season clicks back into gear, I can’t help but daydream of her potato salad.

It was the old-fashioned kind, made with Russet potatoes, onions, celery, hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise dressing. [Side note: Don’t you just feel like grandmas have an uncanny adoration for mayonnaise?] I kept the basics the same but added a few extra special touches to vamp things up a bit. I like a little bit of tang in my potato salad, so I added a little bit of mustard, a few dashes of vinegar and some dill pickles. Holy bejeezus, have I told you how much I love, love, love pickles yet? If you aren’t the biggest fan, no worries. You can always just cut back, or leave them out altogether.

I also threw in a little extra spice and red peppers for complexity, and ended up with a potato salad that still reminded me of home, yet was tailored to my taste buds. And, apparently, the taste buds of many others as well, because when I tested this recipe out on my beloved guinea pigs (a.k.a. friends and family), the crowd went wild. And, I quote: “The best potato salad they’d ever had.” Any recipe that has the ability to take me back to childhood family days, and at the same time, bring smiles to the faces of family standing right in front of me, is solid gold in my book. Please, enjoy!

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and cut each half into thirds. Transfer potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with water by 1inch. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Transfer the potatoes to a colander and strain thoroughly. Place in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with vinegar and gently toss. Set aside to cool.

While the potatoes are cooling, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, salt, dill, paprika and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

Scoop out about half of the potatoes, transfer to a smaller mixing bowl and using the back of a wooden spoon, or a potato masher, roughly mash and return to the large bowl, along with eggs, celery, pickles, bell pepper and yellow onion. Pour over the dressing and gently stir until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight. Serve and enjoy.

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Hi! I’m Kelly Anthony, a food columnist, baker, home chef and stay-at-home mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. I hope you, your family and guests will cherish them as much as I do. Thank you for stopping by, and please, come back again. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.